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وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالإِنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعْبُدُونِ [Qur'an, 51:56]

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US to “BEGIN” Profiling Air Passengers

April 3, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

body_scanners

Yesterday, CommonDreams.org ran an article about how the US will announce its plans to begin profiling US-bound passengers in a major shake-up of air travel security measures.

First of all, if everything they have been doing up until this point was not called ‘profiling’ then I’m not sure I want to find out what is. Secondly, when the US begins openly acknowledging and even legalizing policies/actions which they previously only did covertly and under the radar, that’s when you know you should be scared.

I can’t help but to refer to the recent Supreme Court ruling which overturned two precedents that upheld restrictions on corporate spending for election campaigns. Basically, we already knew that corporations were heavily involved in funding election campaigns of their favorite candidates; but what this Supreme Court ruling did was not only open the flood gates on the corruption which will undoubtedly ensue because of this, it also made a once covert and under-the-table act one that is now open, legal, and totally “on-the-books”.

The same thing is beginning to happen with these new profiling measures for US-bound air passengers. I’ve included the article below but I thought I’d highlight some of the more interesting parts in bold.

The best part is the last quote from Peter King.

Under the new measures to begin this month, which will apply to US citizens as well, the level of screening of travellers will depend on how closely their personal characteristics match against intelligence on potential terrorists.

The measures will replace mandatory enhanced screening of all passengers travelling to the United States from 14 mostly-Muslim nations, put into place following a failed Al-Qaeda attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound flight on Christmas Day.

“It’s much more tailored to what intelligence is telling us and what the threat is telling us, as opposed to stopping all individuals from a particular nationality,” said an unnamed US official quoted by The Washington Post.

The announcement to be made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) comes after a three-month review of security protocols, said the Post, citing a senior administration official.

“It is much more surgically targeting those individuals we are concerned about and have intelligence for,” the official said, according to the New York Times.

The current “no-fly” list is to remain in place under the new procedures, but supplemented by cross-referenced information that may see passengers subject to further screening even if their names are not flagged, the Wall Street Journal said.

Characteristics such as nationality, age, recently visited countries, and partial names will be used alongside the “no-fly” list, the Journal said.

The move aims to avoid the intelligence failures that allowed the alleged Christmas Day bomber, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, to board the Detroit-bound flight from Amsterdam wearing underpants rigged with explosives, even though US intelligence had been alerted to information on him.

Fragmentary intelligence on a possible attacker — a partial name, certain physical characteristics, or nationality — would be forwarded by the DHS to airlines and foreign governments, the Los Angeles Times said, and the information used as a guide on who would be screened.

“This is not a system that can be called profiling in the traditional sense. It is intelligence-based,” said the official, quoted by the New York Times.

US government guidelines prohibit authorities from singling out people on the basis of race or ethnicity, but the Christmas Day plot swiftly recharged the delicate debate surrounding racial profiling.

In the wake of the botched bombing at least one lawmaker, Republican Peter King from New York, called for US authorities to be less hesitant on the issue.

“The fact is, while the overwhelming majority of Muslims are outstanding people, on the other hand 100 percent of the Islamic terrorists are Muslims, and that is our main enemy today,” he told Fox News after Abdulmutallab was apprehended.

Since December the Obama administration has meanwhile also pledged to boost airport security by speeding up the installation of full body scanners at US airports, and to increase funding for federal air marshals on flights deemed most at risk.

Filed Under: In the News, Politics, War on "Terror" Tagged With: 911, airports, christmas day plot, full body scanners, inside job, obama, planes, security, war

Israel escalating a major attack on Gaza (VIDEO)

April 3, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

Israel has threatened to carry out a major military offensive against Gaza, demanding an end to the firing of rockets from the area.

It follows Thursday night’s attacks, by Israel, which destroyed a cheese warehouse and cinema complex. Three Palestinian children were among the injured.

[youtube 0qAoV-EuOCY]

Filed Under: In the News Tagged With: gaza, idf, israel, planes, video, war

Remembering Rachel Corrie (VIDEO)

March 16, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

 

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Today is March 16th, 2010 and although this day may not carry a sentimental value for some, it carries the lasting memory of a true hero for many others. Today is considered Rachel Corrie Day in many peoples’ minds across the world.

Rachel Corrie was a non-violent peace activist fighting for Palestinian human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Exactly 7 years ago, she was killed by an Caterpillar bulldozer operated by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) while trying to prevent the IDF from demolishing the home of a local Palestinian pharmacist, Samir Nasrallah. She was 23 years old at the time.

Rachel had taken a year off from school to travel to the Gaza Strip during the Second Intifada to help the helpless in the Palestine. She used her body (and her life) as a shield against the unjustified oppression carried out by the state of Israel, on the Palestinian people. Since her death, many solidarity actions take place around the world on this, the Rachel Corrie Day of Conscience.

Just last week, her family, after waiting 7 years, has finally received its day in an Israeli court to hear the testimonies of those present at her killing, and hopefully receive the justice they deserve by placing accountability on those responsible. They also understand that this is an opportunity that hundreds and thousands of Palestinians never receive, every day. We wish them all the best in their quest for peace and justice for their daughter, for the Palestinian people, as well as all oppressed peoples around the world.

On this day of conscience, I’m thinking about the bravery and courage of the young Rachel Corrie, and how her story should inspire us all to always do what is right in the face of oppression, regardless of our fears and uncertainties about the future. On this day, we keep the memory of Rachel alive.

In honor of her memory, I’d like to share a video of a speech Rachel gave when she was in the 5th grade. It is truly heartwarming, inspiring, and a clear predictor of her heroic nature as an adult.


[youtube UK8Z3i3aTq4 Rachel Corrie – I’m Here Because I Care]

 

To learn more about Rachel Corrie and her family’s ongoing law suit, please visit the Rachel Corrie Foundation.

To find out about solidarity actions taking place in your area, or to register your action, please visit the GFM Rachel Corrie page.

To learn more about what you can do to stop Caterpillar from selling bulldozers to Israel, to be used as military weapons, please visit the GFM Caterpillar page.


May Rachel always be remembered in the hearts and minds of all people around the world. May she be a constant reminder of the courage and bravery needed to fight for freedom and justice and against evil and oppression. And may she be granted the infinite love and mercy of the Almighty.

Filed Under: In the News, Palestine Tagged With: caterpillar, gaza, idf, israel, Palestine, rachel corrie, rafah, siege, video, war

George Galloway & Cynthia McKinney Break it Down (VIDEO)

March 14, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

A very refreshing short video of George Galloway interviewing Cynthia McKinney for his PressTV show, “The Real Deal”.

 

[youtube 5xNVVKRHyFc The Real Deal with George Galloway – Cynthia McKinney]



Filed Under: In the News, Palestine, Politics Tagged With: canada, gaza, george galloway, israel, obama, Palestine, video, war

Budget Cuts for Schools, Unlimited Spending for Wars (VIDEO)

March 5, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

 

educationNotWar

Students have carried out rallies at dozens of universities and schools across the United States in protest against cuts to public education funding.

Some demonstrations turned violent as students blocked the main gates of a California university and smashed car windows.

The fragile state of the economy has forced states in America to make difficult budget decisions, which has meant millions of dollars cut in funding.

Raegan Miller, associate director for Education Research at the Center for American Progress, told Al Jazeera the public has felt and will feel the difficult budget choices that have been made.

“The students should be upset, they didn’t cause the economic mess that we are in,” he said.

“The revenue situation is so severe which will mean cuts in the classroom, this means especially art, music and physical education which are considered less essential subjects.”

Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey reports from a protest rally in New York.


[youtube es7dyWazV7E Al Jazeera – US students rally over budget cuts]


Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/03/20103553047747753.html


Filed Under: In the News Tagged With: budget, education, protest, rally, usa, video, war

US Aid to Israel: How Much is Your Share?

February 21, 2010 By Sarah Leave a Comment

From: www.aidtoisrael.org

How Much Military Aid to Israel…

…Do You Provide?

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How Much Military Aid to Israel…
…Do You Provide?
Between 2009-2018, the United States is scheduled to give Israel–the largest recipient of U.S. aid–$30 billion in military aid. Through its illegal 42-year military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, Israel misuses U.S. weapons in violation of U.S. law to kill and injure Palestinian civilians, destroy Palestinian civilian infrastructure, blockade the Gaza Strip, and build illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.
How much of this total will your community provide?  Is this a good use of your tax dollars? What else could your taxes be used for in your community?  Find out on the interactive map below.

Between 2009-2018, the United States is scheduled to give Israel–the largest recipient of U.S. aid–$30 billion in military aid. Through its illegal 42-year military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip, Israel misuses U.S. weapons in violation of U.S. law to kill and injure Palestinian civilians, destroy Palestinian civilian infrastructure, blockade the Gaza Strip, and build illegal settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.

How much of this total will your community provide?  Is this a good use of your tax dollars? What else could your taxes be used for in your community?  Find out on thid interactive map:

Aid To Israel

  • Simply click on your state to find out how much it’s 2009-2018 budget is going directly to provide military aid to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
  • You can even search data for your county, congressional district, and city by clicking on “US Regions” on the left (next to the up arrow).

This may seem especially infuriating right now; it being tax season and all… Want to know how much the average tax payer will pay in military aid to Israel in 2010? Well, if we take Obama’s FY2011 budget request of $3 billion in military aid to Israel and divide it by the 156,297,000 individual tax filings reported to the IRS, the number is $19.19. That’s $19.19 in military aid that you will be paying to Israel this year. So get your checkbooks ready!

And this is just military aid; this doesn’t include economic grants, immigrant grants, schools and hospital grants, and other aid. That means, this year $19.19 of every American tax payer’s income will directly fund and aid in the brutal, deadly, military occupation of Palestine.

Now the question is…

…what are we going to do about it?

Filed Under: Palestine, Politics Tagged With: boycott, divestment, israel, obama, Palestine, sanctions, war

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